448 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL niBTORY SOCIETY, 1S92. 



pendulous clusters of fruit wMcli are about tlio size of a racquet ball, 

 and look like enormous cliains of large beads. I was informed that 

 tbe leaves of tbis tree are edible svheu young, and that a kind of cloth 

 is manufactured from the bark. The Kachins call it " lai-rd." The 

 crab-apple was also occasionally met with, and at Nawku near 

 Alawpum we discovered a large apple with good smell, but did not 

 discover the tree from which it came. Wild plantain trees are very 

 numerous along the streams in the plains. One meets occasional 

 patches of them in the jungle. Only one fir-tree was seen, and that 

 was at JSTawkhum near the Nam sang kha, at an elevation of under 

 5,000 feet. A few cinnamon trees were seen at Kazu and Ningrong, 

 and three or four stunted mango trees. Horse-chestnuts were seen 

 near Palap, and also some wild brinjals. The jack-fruit tree w^.as 

 occasionally seen in the lower hills near the plains. Near Nachang 

 a fine acid scarlet' plum was obtained. This was of elongated shape, 

 and is called by the Burmese " hmanguthi." One of the most common 

 fruits to be got is the yellow raspberr3^ This has a flavour similar 

 to the blackberry at home. It is found everywhere. Wild peach 

 and greengage trees were very common about Sadon and Wabong. 

 There was also a tree similiar to a cherry at Wabong. These trees 

 were all in full blossom in March. Their fruit is said to never ripen 

 properly, as it is attacked by a small worm, which destroys the fruit 

 before it has time to ripen. The prickly-pear was seen in the hills 

 near Kantaoyang. The only place I saw toddy-palms in the hills was 

 at Shingop, a small Chinese village near Sadon. A very common 

 tree near Wabong was one with a large purple and white 

 blossom which had a very sweet smell. I could not find out its 

 name. In the Sansi gorge towards the summits we saw pri»mJas, 

 purple primroses, rhododendrons, stunted oaks, and a tree very like 

 a larch. This latter was also common about Waror and Upra. 

 Indigo, both cultivated and wild, is very numerous. The wild tea 

 plant was- also observed in large quantities near Palap and Sima. 

 The Kachins do not drink tea, with the exception of the Yawyins, 

 but the Chinese do. This tea is very bitter, and has not much market 

 value, and is used only for the purpose of adulteration. I saAV a 

 single guava tree at Karwun, but nowhere else. Pumpkins appear 

 to grow wild everywhere, and attain large sizes. Orchids and tree 



